Fencepost driver



Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL A. FARB, OF DEKALB, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FENCEPOST DRIVER.

Application filed August 5, 1924. Serial No. 730,302.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. FARE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of De Kalb, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F'encepost Drivers.

This invention relates to post driving apparatus and more particularlyto driving apparatus for driving fence posts into the ground, and has for one of its objects the provision of a driving apparatus adapted to be detachably mounted on the post so that an operator may hold the post with one hand and operate the driver withhis other hand, thus providing a truly one-man post setting operation.

- Another and important object is to provide a protectin sleeve for the top of the post, on which t edriver will reciprocate, thus preventing scraping or marring of the surface of the post.

A further object is to provide a post driving apparatus having the novel construction, design, and combination of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyin' drawings. I, i

n the drawings---v Fi re 1 is a side elevation of a post, showmg the driving apparatus mounted thereon, the drivin member being raised ready to descend an strike a blow on the top of the post.

Fi ure 2 is a side elevation of the protecting s eeve.

Fi re 3 is a side elevation of the driving mom or partly in section, showing its solid driving head.

Figure 4 is atransverse section on the line IV-IV of Figure 1. Referring more particularly to the draw ing's, the numeral 2 designates the fence post as a whole, which is substantially T-shaped in cross section and is provided along the edges of its flanges with integral projections 3 adapted to engage with thewire fencing and assist in holding it in "position. It will be understood that while the post driving apparatus of this invention is illustrated in connection with the above describedpost, its use is not limited to this particular design of post, since it may bereadily used to drive posts having a round or other cross The driving apparatus comprises .a protecting tubular sleeve member 4 preferably formed from sheet metal bent into shape and having its longitudinal edges secured together by riveting or welding. The ends of the sleeve 4 are open so as to permit the sleeve to be readily slipped over the upper end of the post and positioned with its upper end below the upper end of the post.

A split collar member 6 is secured around the lower end of the sleeve 4 and has-its ends bent outwardly to form spaced jaws or cars 7. A locking dog 8 having a transversely extending head 9 is pivotally secured between the'ears 7 of the collar 6 by a bolt 10, and is adapted to be moved'about the bolt 10 so as to engage the head 9 in the depression between the projections 3 and thus secure the sleeve in position. A thumb screw or win}; nut 10 is providedon the bolt 10 adapted to be tightened by'the operator to clam the ears 7 against the dog 8 to holdthe 0g in looking position.

A driving member-A is ,adapted to be mounted over and reciprocate on the sleeve 4 and comprises a tubular shank portion 12 of greater diameter than the sleeve 4. and having its upper end closed by a solid, heavy driving head 14, preferably formed of cast iron which is cast directly around the shank 12.

When-the driving head 14 is formed by casting directly around the upper end of the shank portion 12, the upper end of the shank is provided with. a plurality of vertical cuts which divides the upper end of the shank into a plurality of segments 15, and alternate ones of these segments are bent outwardly with one hand and reciprocate the driver A with his other hand, thus sinking the post into the ground. When the post has been driven. a sufficient depth to be self-sustaining, the operator may release his hold .on the post and manipulate the driver A with .both hands.

The advantages of a post driver such as described in this application will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Heretofore, it has been necessary to drive a post of this class into the ground with a sledge and, therefore, two men have been necessary, one to set and hold the post While the other drove the post into the ground, while with the present apparatus one man can both set and drive the post.

Another feature is that with the present driving apparatus the paint or galvanized surface of the 0st is protected by the sleeve 4 so that the river A does not cut or mar such surface.

I claim- 1. A one-man fence post driving apparatus comprising a tubular open ended sleeve member adapted to be fitted around the post to be driven adjacent its upper end, a collar member secured to the lower end of said sleeve, 3. locking dog pivotally secured to said collar and adapted to be engaged with said post to hold said sleeve in position, and a driving member comprising a tubular shank portion of greater diameter than said sleeve and adapted to fit over and slide freely on'said sleeve, and having av solid heavy npper end adapted to deliver driving blows to the upper end of the post when said driving member is reciprocated.

2. The combination with a fence post having a plurality of projections along one of its faces for engaging the fencing wire, of

post when said a one-man driving apparatus for driving such post into the ground, said apparatus comprising a tubular open ended sleeve member adapted to be fitted around the post adjacent its upper end. a collar member secured to the lower end of said sleeve, a locking doe piv'otally secured to said collar and adapted to be engaged between the projections on said post to hold said sleeve in position. and a driving member comprising a tubular shank portion of greater diameter than said sleeve and adapted to fit over and slide freely on said sleeve, and having a solid heavy upper end adapted to deliver driving blows to the upper end of the post when said driving member is reciprocated.

3. A one-man fence post driving apparatus comprising a tubular open-ended sleeve member adapted to have a sliding fit on the post to be driven and to be mounted on the post so as to expose the upper end of the post. means for locking said sleeve in position on said post, and a driving member comprising a tubular shank portion of greater diameter than said sleeve and adapted to fit over and slide freely on said sleeve, and having a solid heavy upper end adapted to deliver driving blows to the upper end of the driving member is reciprocated.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set CARL A. FARB my hand 

